Photographs (of me and you)
by acaeffyourself
Summary: When Aubrey sees Beca across the quad
1. Chapter 1

All her life, Aubrey had wanted to be good at something. _Anything. _If she could master one thing, maybe her parents would stop giving her _those_ looks. She had tried dance, but when her sister told her how fat her legs looked in tights, she quit, saying that it was too girly. She had tried sports: soccer (too fast), Field hockey (too many mean girls), track (running), but then she bought a camera.

It was an accident. Really. It was sitting on the shelf of the boutique where she was currently buying pants. She forewent the pants the moment she picked up the little Canon. And before she knew what she was doing, she was swiping her mum's credit card and walking to the nearest camera store. She was 17.

The first time she got a good picture, a picture even she was impressed with was just before Senior year at Barden. It was orientation and she was to be registering for classes, but signing up for Intro to Law was put on hold when she saw across the campus a petite form sulking across campus. She moved so effortlessly, but with a brooding sense of something deeper. Aubrey knew she had to snap it. The blonde picked up her camera out of her bag, her father scoffing, but not paying attention as Aubrey zoomed in, adjusting the f-stops so that the girl was the only thing in focus. She had this smirk and suddenly Aubrey felt peaceful. She looked down at the exposure count. 23/24. 'This better be good' she thought, pressing down on the shutter. The camera clicked and churned the film around. Satisfied, she finished registering and left, hoping to see the girl soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Aubrey held the negatives up to the light, placing the correct one into the enlarger tray. Adjusting the focus, Aubrey zoomed in on the girl's face, pulling back so her whole shot was in focus. Turning the light off, she pulled a piece of paper out, ripping a test strip. She placed it on the tray, switching on the light and counted, overtaken with wonder as she looked at the black and white transfer.

1… Her eyes, I bet they are really blue

2… Her lips, how are they so perfect

3…Her nose, I bet it's cute when she scrunches it in confusion

4… Wow

5… I'm a fucking idiot.

Aubrey switched off the light, dropping the strip into the developer, shaking the pan gently. She inhaled the fishy smell of the chemicals and she had never felt so at home. The darkroom at Barden was a home away from home. She could be doing anything, printing anything, anyone and no one was there breathing down her neck. Once an image had started to appear, she picked it up from the developer. Perfection. There was an advanced quality to the contrast, and the way she was posed. Posed. Ha! If Aubrey could even tell her how she felt. Or even say hi. Tossing the test strip in the trash, she moved back to the enlarger, placing a full piece of paper on the tray, repeating the process, and placing it in the fixer as the door opened.

"Ah Miss Posen. I knew you'd be in here."

"Hello Professor Cleers." Aubrey said, not looking up from the photo in the fixer.

"Oh my she's beautiful." Cleers commented.

"I know," Aubrey spoke softly. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't pin point why.

"I'm sure she's very lucky." Cleers spoke again, fumbling around the darkroom.

"I haven't even said hello."

It was days later at the activities fair, two days to be exact, Aubrey had counted. She looked around the fair, searching for the girl, but what would she even say.

"What about her?" Chloe asked, her eyes roaming up and down the girl's body.

Panic struck Aubrey. It was her. Photo girl. Chloe couldn't have her. Chloe had it all. People fell head-over-heels for Chloe, Chloe was carefree. Chloe was everything Aubrey wished she could be, and had most of what she wanted, even if she had it too. But this girl, with her headphones, and she open shirt, bag slung sloppily over her shoulder—was such a polar opposite of Aubrey, she couldn't be more intrigued.

"I dunno, she looks a little too alternative," Aubrey dismissed. But dammit. She was walking this way. Towards her. Towards Chloe. And that was it. All Aubrey would have of her was the photo, and the sounds of Chloe loving her down the hall.


End file.
